Hampden School and community group Hampden Community Energy Inc (HCE), which is situated across the road, are appealing to Waitaki District Council for a new carpark opposite the school.
Two years ago, the school’s board of trustees made a plea to the Waihemo Community Board for a carpark due to fears for pupils’ safety.
Up to 30 vehicles converge each school day on Norwich St to discharge or pick up children.
The street is also used as a bypass lane for trucks and trailer units.
The council earlier rejected the school’s proposal for off-street carparking.
Community board chairwoman Heather McGregor said the council’s decision would directly impact the health and safety of schoolchildren.
"It’s a highly dangerous area. At the end of the day what’s the cost of a child’s life?
"It’s a safety aspect for the kids and the school.
"Kids are tiny and you’ve got big trucks coming along there, or a car, that they don’t often see — they can be unpredictable.
"It’s a huge concern," she said.
The sooner the community could move forward on the matter, the better for the safety of the children, Mrs McGregor said.
Hampden School principal Siobhan Murphy said the decision by the council to deny the request for a formal carpark was "not good enough" — and the wait for the decision had been frustrating.
"We essentially need something done now in order to stop a tragedy, it’s just a matter of time.
"I don’t understand why it has not been a decision that could just be made straight away, we’re not asking for a new playground, we’re asking for basic safety for our kids in a growing place," Miss Murphy said.
Hampden Community Energy chairman Dugald MacTavish said while the HCE had already received council approval for a carpark adjacent to the community centre, they were holding off until a possible joint carpark was approved, that would include more parking space further north of the school in the same area.
The joint proposal did not involve National Land Transport Funding, Mr MacTavish said.
A school could fund its own parking, and there was no need for the council to budget for the project.
"We believe it satisfies all necessary council approvals," he said.
School board chairman Chris Hepburn said he hoped for a positive outcome.
"It’s nice to be supported by the [community board] in our efforts to make the school entrance area safer for our students and also staff and family, this is really important to us."
Mr Hepburn said the proposal was a "no brainer".
"Particularly when we’re offering to do the fundraising and we’ve put a fair bit of effort in to gather good feedback from council staff around health and safety and traffic safety.
Safety precautions in the council’s "Travel Safely Plan" had been implemented but Mr Hepburn said that was not enough to ensure the safety of pupils.
"I feel uncomfortable putting all of the responsibility around that on educating a 5-year-old kid who’s going to school."
The response to the council report on the carpark request by Hampden School and Hampden Community Energy Inc, highlighted "basic errors" of the council’s assessment of the proposal, he said.
Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale said the council needed more time to assess the information provided in the joint proposal.
"We are aware of the concerns in the community around safety and we do need to weigh that up with any cost implications, I understand the project, if funded, could have an effect on a waste disposal field," she said.
The council will be voting on the decision for the joint carpark at the end of next month.
